How To Conquer Social Media Like Trump

Love him or hate him, Donald Trump managed to arrest the attention of the world, tap into the heart of a large American audience and amass enough votes to become president of the United States. Some would say he did it in chunks of 140 characters or less.

His frequent and off-the-cuff Tweets sparked conversations and motivated onlookers to share his posts and spread the word on his campaign. No doubt his online presence had a huge hand in the president-elect’s staying power and climb to the top. Of course, a win inspired by technology usage isn’t a new topic. Nearly every 20th-century president has utilized the greatest technology of their time to bypass media filters and reach directly to the American people. Franklin D. Roosevelt got an entire country on board with his fireside chats, John F. Kennedy used late-night talk shows, and Barack Obama used the internet. For Trump, it was social media— a tool with no expiration date in sight.

To give your business a better idea of social media’s most successful user tips we talked with the team at 180fusion, the leading provider of digital marketing solutions, to figure out how to turn Trump’s social media habits into your brand’s next big win. Here are four tips on how to conquer social media like the Twitter candidate:

He Got Shareable With Content By Giving Followers What They Wanted

Not everyone loves what Trump has to say on Twitter. Still, throughout the campaign millions of smartphone-using Americans were consistently up to date on the head-turning statements of the Republican candidate. Social media users don’t share anything that’s boring, they’re much more likely to share content that will make other users have a strong reaction and have emotions stirred. For Trump, that meant getting viewers riled up. Even if his remarks were disputed by journalists and fact checkers, Trump’s tweets often dominated news coverage for hours because they were so controversial.

Of course, though it may have worked for him, that’s not to suggest that you go around tweeting every single thought that comes into your mind. But you can be aware of your personal brand and the unique opportunities it has to strike a chord with social media users. Get started by becoming vocal about current events and ensure that you publish posts that are relevant and timely. Speak casually and frankly – you’ll be surprised at the number of people who respond when they don’t feel “marketed at.”

Get Real

In 2008, analysts pointed to Barack Obama’s aggressive use of social media campaigns as a major part of his win. Well-produced videos worked for the president back in 2008, but for Trump’s social media team it was all about copying what the average American was doing with online video production: getting their friends to do it. The Trump campaign worked to shed a more authentic light on a candidate who otherwise could have been seen as unrelatable to middle and lower class Americans. Trump sat at his messy work desk and talked to viewers about himself, what he knew and what they were interested in.

Focus on authenticity and value for videos over production value. A huge contributor to the success of Trump’s “unconventional” antics stemmed from social followers’ desire for a genuine experience— an attribute that’s in high demand for American consumers.

Participate In Other Conversations

Trump didn’t just stick to politics as usual during his campaign. The billionaire used Twitter to tap out comments and opinions about social media trends, conflicts in other countries, celebrities and even award seasons.

Over the course of his campaign, his controversial comments helped him to assemble a SWAT team of followers and supporters that could put any PR team to shame. Millions of his followers were at the ready for every provocative and goading remark he made. They were complete strangers to him and yet they took to Twitter to defend and spread his message while arguing with anyone who disagreed and contradicted him. By inserting himself into multiple social media conversations, Trump generated new conversations of his own and secured himself a position at the constant center of every conversation. By making himself relevant for every topic, he made sure he was mentioned as often.

Build and expand your brand by becoming a regular part of everyday conversations. Plugging away at your own agenda won’t appeal to Twitter or Facebook users who log onto social media to get their fill of entertainment gossip or a puppy of the day meme. Use your Twitter account to your advantage to boost your search engine ratings and pull in new audiences. Be human.

Ghosted social media accounts and ones that make irregular posts are more likely to get the boot from followers. Ensure social media users that you intend to keep them in the loop by maintaining a faithful presence. Do so and heck, maybe you could be president someday too.

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